Players cited the tight-knit nature of the locker room and their confidence during late-game situations as a result of the buildings updated vibes under OConnell. A former NFL quarterback who was a career backup, O'Connell has been the Rams' offensive coordinator for the past two seasons. [21] In 2019, under interim head coach Bill Callahan, O'Connell was promoted to offensive coordinator. A necessary condition is having a starter-level quarterback, Adofo-Mensah began. O'Connell worked on special projects with the San Francisco 49ers in 2016, where he overlapped with Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Similarly to his GM one day earlier, the Vikings head coach couldnt make a strong statement about what the future would hold at QB. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising. As a four-year captain at San Diego State, O'Connell finished his career after appearing in 40 games while ranking third in completions (664), fourth in passing yards (7,689) and fifth in passing touchdowns (46) in school history. [23], On January 16, 2020, O'Connell was hired by the Los Angeles Rams as offensive coordinator. My main goal was to connect with (Cousins) and build on a relationship, OConnell said. [25][26], On February 16, 2022, just three days after his Super Bowl LVI victory, O'Connell was hired by the Minnesota Vikings as the 10th head coach in their franchise history. The 33-year-old quarterback's $35 million base salary for 2022 became guaranteed last March . The rushing attack. [27][28] O'Connell's Vikings hiring reunited him with quarterback Kirk Cousins, whom O'Connell had coached in 2017 (Cousins' final year with the Washington Redskins). Vikings Players Close Out Season with Locker Room Clean Out. This is also a business. What was initially pitched as a competitive rebuild and trying to win on the margins morphed into setting an NFL record for the most one-score wins in a season (11-0) thanks to players who were led to become situational masters at key moments of close games. He called conversations ongoing about Cousinss future. Head coach Kevin O'Connell of the Minnesota Vikings speaks to the media during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 1, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. He later reiterated his own self reflection following the season, saying there were a lot of phases looking at everything from how game-management and play-calling tie together to how they handle all the aspects of players schedules to the scheme. His net worth is somewhere between $30 million to $35 million. Cousins is entering the final year of his contract, and NFL Networks Tom Pelissero reported earlier in the week that he would not anticipate the type of one-year, fully-guaranteed extensions that the 35-year-old has signed in the past. McCown also broke the single-game passing record in 2015, throwing for 457 yards against the Baltimore Ravens. They want tostart every game, lead their team to the playoffs, win a Super Bowl, [but] a lot goes into what it takes to do that.. Maybe its not even for any one particular year.. Doing so could mean some hard decisions on key contributors from last season like Dalvin Cook, Eric Kendricks, ZaDarius Smith and others. I think theres a conversation to be had to really see what that looks like: playing time and roles and responsibilities.. [How do you] round him to make sure that you can win that way? . But Minnesota watched as Cam Newton, Jake Locker, and Blaine Gabbert flew off the board. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott's cap hit might be rising in 2023, but owner Jerry Jones believes his quarterback has the ability to bridge the gap in any talent the roster might lose because of it. Following his All-Pro wideout's 1,809-yard, 128-catch, eight-touchdown campaign, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell believes Jefferson can soar even higher. As he reviewed the way defenses matched up against his team, OConnell noticed a trend. This information might be about you, your preferences or your device and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to. "We are ecstatic to add Kevin as our head coach," said Vikings Owner/President Mark Wilf. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. O'Connell played quarterback at San Diego State University, and was selected by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. There are times when hes mad and when Im mad. I think we laid a foundation for where we want to go. Facebook Twitter Craig Peters. The victories and records set on the way to winning the NFC North for the first time since 2017 enabled Minnesota to host a playoff game for the first time in five years, but that excitement ended abruptly Sunday when the Giants topped the Vikings 31-24. ", "Making sure that the standard of knowing we've got the culture, knowing we've got the right things going in this building," O'Connell said. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. One element of his teams play that must improve? And when I think about all that went into it, from a coaching staff standpoint, our players, our leadership of our core leaders and foundation of such a great leadership group that I was able to have in my first year as a head coach in the National Football League, I truly feel very fortunate and blessed," O'Connell added. Pelissero noted that Brown, who interviewed for the Miami Dolphins head coaching position, is considered a "rising assistant" and is a candidate to replace O'Connell in Los Angeles. These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. If not, they could ride Cousins another year and try their luck to acquire their guy in 2024. [10], He was named a team captain for the September 20 game against the New England Patriots.[11]. Kevin William O'Connell (born May 25, 1985), nicknamed " KOC ", [1] is an American football coach and former player who is the head coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). Whatever the plan, timing is everything for the Vikings. INDIANAPOLIS -- Justin Jefferson led the NFL in receiving yards and receptions in 2022 while averaging 106.4 yards per game. "Now, we've got to all the last phase of that is the accountability to each other, to make sure that that standard is championship worthy, and we're putting ourselves in that conversation to a man and to a woman in this building that we're looking at each other and asking ourselves the question, 'With everything we do, is it championship worthy? In terms of the things that were different in 2022, the most noticeable were the approach to camp and preseason workloads, managing injuries and how players who were recovering from injuries were talked about publicly and the buy-in to quarterback Kirk Cousins. "Justin just had an incredible year, but what I liked about it the most was just the impactful plays at critical moments he made for our team, among a lot of our players," O'Connell said. The Dallas Cowboys will place the franchise tag on running back Tony Pollard if the two sides cannot reach a long-term deal before March 7's deadline, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Friday, per sources. Under O'Connell, Rams quarterbacks have thrown for 1,517 passing yards (third in NFL), 11 touchdowns (fourth in NFL) and a 106.4 passer rating in playoff games (second in NFL). The personnel department continued to be on the lookout for players who became available after their release by other teams, and the coaching staff usually helped integrate the acquired player quickly, whether it was Za'Darius Smith in Week 1 or T.J. Hockenson in Week 9. On August 31, 2010, New York released O'Connell. Following his All-Pro wideout's 1,809-yard, 128-catch, eight-touchdown campaign, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell believes Justin Jefferson can soar even higher. He played one season for the Patriots behind QB Matt Cassel following a season-ending injury to QB Tom Brady. Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. [24] In O'Connell's second season with the Rams, their offense ranked 2nd best in receiving touchdowns (41), 5th highest in total yards (4,893), 8th best in total touchdowns (63), and the team won Super Bowl LVI (defeating the Cincinnati Bengals, 2320). His teammates voted him as a captain for what he means not only to our organization but the Twin Cities. And just in all of our dialogue Monday with our players, getting a chance to meet with each and every one of them, they understand that, and they're motivated for that. O'Connell was waived by the Patriots on August 30, 2009, two days after a preseason game in which starting quarterback Tom Brady was injured, and, in the second half, O'Connell threw two interceptions and only threw 3 completions on 10 attempts. So have expectations going forward, until "someday" can become "the day.". Fired up to watch these guys this fall @b_petty14 @DWatford5 @EverettGolson @Connor_Cook03 @tannerlee12 @bharrisqb1 pic.twitter.com/2TNR1YJlHt His team won 13 games and the NFLPA just said his teams culture was the best in the league. "But I wouldn't say that we're that established, 'there' team because we haven't shown it yet. But this regime doesnt seem to be looking for a quarterback, theyre looking for the quarterback. Prior to his one year in San Francisco, O'Connell was the quarterbacks coach in Cleveland during the 2015 season, assisting QB Josh McCown to becoming the only player in team history to throw for 300 or more passing yards in three consecutive games. They could have done what the Pittsburgh Steelers did by drafting Kenny Pickett in the first round last year, but they knew he wasnt the guy. Thats because talking about culture is a good way to spend time talking about anything else other than upcoming decisions, draft philosophies, scheme changes etc. Justin Jeffersons superstar turn. So, well see what happens.. I'm sure a lot of fans will be going through that right now, and that hurts to hear, I can't lie, but I understand where that's coming from. Kevin William O'Connell, nicknamed "KOC", is an American former player and a football coach who is the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. The Lions traded O'Connell to the New York Jets, for a 7th round 2011 draft pick, on September 6, 2009. Were going to continue to take a look at whats the best route to go moving forward in that room, as are all the other rooms. What he means to our league, how he carries himself, how he works every day. This website is not directly or indirectly affiliated, associated, or connected in any way to Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League or the National Hockey League. Kentucky's Will Levis, a likely top-10 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, spoke Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine and -- in under 15 minutes -- presented himself as arguably the most self-assured QB in this year's class. The Vikings head coach compared all of the moving parts to puzzle pieces but its more like a choose-your-own-adventure book because each choice with Player X impacts Player Y and the combination of all of the decisions takes you to a different endpoint. Asked about the Vikings long-term future at that position, OConnell said he surveys the landscape of the position each year out of habit. O'Connell, a former backup NFL quarterback who spent time with five different teams, knows the business from a player's side and coach's side. Some believe that is too rich for an aging playmaker and have subsequently speculated about Thielen's fate in 2023. Cousins is attached to a fully guaranteed $35MM base salary. "As crazy as this sounds, leading the league in yards and receptions, I think he and I have just scratched the surface of where we want to go as an offense, particularly with him as our premier receiver," O'Connell said Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. With Cousins in his mid-30s, the Vikings need to figure out a succession plan at quarterback. Some believe that is too rich for an aging playmaker and have subsequently speculated about Thielens fate in 2023. "Reflecting on what we were able to accomplish as a football team an NFC North title and 13 wins it goes beyond that. Sure, it may not be good as a fresh bowl of General Tsaos Chicken, but it beats not having Chinese food at all.
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